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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25378957">Veils and Mirrors</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyricalWandering/pseuds/LyricalWandering'>LyricalWandering</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Creepypasta - Fandom, Petscop (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adoption, Belle is Care's adopted cousin, Belle/Tiara Leskowitz character study, Care is Paul, Freeform, Gen, Petscop One Shots, Short One Shot, and Paul's adopted sister, this webseries is incredible, very vague at times</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:55:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>597</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25378957</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyricalWandering/pseuds/LyricalWandering</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A deeper dive into the person Belle is, who she's become, and what her past means to her.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Belle | Tiara Leskowitz &amp; Paul Leskowitz</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Veils and Mirrors</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Belle is a smart kid." </p><p>One of her earliest memories is of being described by strangers, to strangers. </p><p>The unsettling feeling of being passed around by and to adults who seemed to study instead of see still haunts her to this day. It was a vexing tunnel of thoughts to venture down; to consider that you were more of an item to purchase than a person to them. People wanted to quickly scan the ingredients on the back of the box without actually opening it to view it's contents for themselves. Viewing. Studying. Never seeing. </p><p>"They didn't see her." </p><p>Belle kneels down to brush her numb fingers along the inscription on the cold stone. She would have never thought that the person she could relate to the most in this strange plane of existence would be a dead girl from decades ago. What was it like for her? To be shrouded in mystery? What felt like the whole world searching and wanting and needing answers. </p><p>No one had come looking for her when she'd gone in after... </p><p>No one had ever even asked for Belle's name. A social worker had that and the rest of her "basic information" compiled neatly in an old yellow folder. One that was frayed at the edges and slightly bent out of shape, far too used to being tucked under professional elbows. But was it polite to talk about a kid right in front of her, and not even ask her to give them her own name herself? </p><p>"Belle is a smart kid." </p><p>She was a smart kid, she muses, taking control of her own hand again and drawing it away from the grave. While other kids in lower grades had been struggling with Dr. Seuss, she was already plowing her way through Nancy Drew chapter books. She could solve a Rubik's Cube in under 60 seconds. She'd gotten nearly perfect grades throughout elementary school. She studied trigonometry just for the hell of it, but even more so because it was fun for her.</p><p>None of that had made much of a difference to anyone when it came to her adoption. None of that should have mattered to anyone but herself, really. </p><p>"Belle? Are..y-you there?...Belle...?" </p><p>His voice echoes in her mind like it had through the static of the phone line; millions of miles away. No road could get him to her. No road in the world...but a road in the game...a rebirthing as she'd had... </p><p>Petscop. A hub for interdimensional travel. Skipping timelines like jumping rope. Breathing in truth and expelling the lies. There was a man and a machine and a powerful danger lurking in the shadows of a family's torn up history. A simulation? Yes. A mystery worth solving? Belle wasn't sure yet. </p><p>"Petscop kid. Very smart." </p><p>Mike had said that. He hadn't cared much for Belle at first, in their old life. Because she was new, and new people scared him. But now she was a part of *them*; older blood than he could understand. Rescued by a love that defied time and space. It turned reality on it's own head. </p><p>"Petscop kid. Very smart" </p><p>She needed to be smart now. She needed to be smart *enough* now. Marvin was coming. Paul was trapped. And as she stood from where she'd knelt at the marker for Lina's virtual grave, swiping the fresh dirt on her fingers across one pale cheek like war paint, she reminded herself of her true identity. </p><p>"I am Tiara." </p><p>She needed to be a Leskowitz. For them. For her brother.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much for reading! This is one of my shorter Petscop works, but I've written quite a bit and there's definitely more coming. Any and all feedback is welcome and greatly appreciated. &lt;3 Please let me know if you have any requests for future works as well!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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